Opinion
A4
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
OUR VIEW
Curbing
car-animal
collisions in
Oregon
M
ost people who have spent much time
driving Oregon’s highways have felt that
twinge of fear when they see a deer or
elk standing on the road’s fringe.
And some have felt something more tangible.
The unpleasant crunch when metal or plastic col-
lides with fl esh and bone.
These episodes are costly in multiple ways.
The animals rarely survive. Occasionally, the
driver doesn’t either.
And according to a recent report, the average
cost, including repairs, when a car hits a mule deer
is $9,086.
These incidents aren’t exactly rare, either. The
Oregon Department of Transportation recorded
almost 31,000 collisions between vehicles and wild-
life (deer being the most frequent species) from
2017 to 2021.
Reducing that toll is the goal of a coalition that
includes hunters, anglers, Tribal representatives and
members of conservation groups. They are pro-
moting a bill in the Oregon Legislature that would
allocate $7 million to build fences, underpasses and
other structures that have been proven, in Oregon
and elsewhere, to cut the number of collisions.
The bill introduced by Rep. Ken Helm, a Demo-
crat from Washington County, has attracted bipar-
tisan sponsorship, including from Reps. Mark
Owens, R-Crane, and Bobby Levy, R-Echo. The
Legislature should pass the bill — House Bill
4130-01 — before concluding the short 2022 ses-
sion next month.
Although the $7 million would help the state
start addressing sections of highways where colli-
sions are more common — including Interstate 84
near Meacham, which is along a popular elk migra-
tion route — the legislation might be more valuable
as a leverage for federal dollars.
The federal infrastructure bill, passed by Con-
gress in November 2021, includes $350 million
in competitive grants over fi ve years to address
car-wildlife collisions.
Proponents note that despite the proven ben-
efi ts of fencing and underpasses — structures
installed in 2012 along U.S. Highway 97 near Bend
have decreased collisions by 86% over seven years
— Oregon has only about fi ve such structures,
compared with 50 in Utah and more than 30 in
Washington.
Passing Helm’s bill would be a substantive start
to putting Oregon on the road toward addressing
this recurring problem.
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YOUR VIEWS
River Democracy Act
represents long-range
thinking, local knowledge
Like many of our Northeastern
Oregon friends and neighbors,
we support the River Democracy
Act proposed by Sens. Wyden and
Merkeley. We off er here a few of our
reasons.
Meaningful action addressing
life-threatening climate change
is overdue. Our waterways pay a
heavy price for our drive to squeeze
every last penny from natural
resources. Centuries of destructive
practices have damaged every eco-
system on Earth and threaten plane-
tary life itself.
Our full-speed-ahead enterprise
destroys plant and animal species
at mass extinction rates, canceling
them from our intricate web of life. In
light of climate change and biodiver-
sity collapse, destructive “business as
usual” practices are worse than sense-
less. We know better. Passing the
River Democracy Act is a modest, yet
important, step toward protecting and
restoring our natural world.
The River Democracy Act does
not “lock up” our public lands. They
remain as accessible as ever. Wild
and Scenic designation allows resto-
ration of these waterways and pro-
tects them from future degradation.
Sen. Wyden and his staff have care-
fully listened to stakeholders and
specifi cally addressed their con-
cerns in the bill.
Despite being reported other-
wise, maps of the nominated water-
ways abound: A statewide map
depicting all of the proposed stream
reaches is found at tinyurl.com/
rdamap.
The River Democracy Act itself
forms an atlas, its stream names and
geographic details easily found on
any map or GPS device. Acquiring
ourselves a detailed map of Kil-
lamacue Creek, we fi nd its reach
length is indeed 4 miles, contrary to
a public offi cial’s complaint it was
but 2 miles, as printed in the Feb. 2,
2022, Baker City Herald.
We need long-range thinking
to protect the natural systems on
which all life depends. Two years
ago local citizens, businesses and
organizations answered the call for
nominations, did their homework
and made their recommendations,
since reduced to protecting just 4%
of Oregon’s waterways. The River
Democracy Act represents local
knowledge and expertise in man-
aging local resources for a sustain-
able future.
Thank you, Senator. Now is
the time to pass the bill. Our kids
grandkids, and future generations
will thank you, too.
Mike Higgins and Mike Beaty
Halfway
COVID vaccine: Follow
the money to see who
wants what
I am glad to see more people
are having the courage to question
our government’s reaction to the
virus and what they are asking, or
mandating, us to do. Is any of this
really necessary?
Why is a shot that won’t prevent
you from getting, transmitting or
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Offi ce Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande offi ce: 541-962-7691
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dying from the virus called a vac-
cine? I understand that it might
reduce a person’s symptoms, but is
that what a vaccine is for?
Why are people we called heroes
for nearly two years all of a sudden
a danger to society and selfi sh
people? What changed?
Why isn’t the importance of
things like nutrition, supplements
and building one’s immune system
being more widely encouraged to
lessen the severity of the virus if
contracted?
Since early on there have been
doctors who have been successfully
treating people with the virus, yet
this information seems to be hidden
from the public. These doctors and
their treatments are vilifi ed and/or
ridiculed by the media, the phar-
maceutical companies and many
of those in our government. The
so-called “fact checkers” on social
media dispute anything that doesn’t
fi t the proper narrative. Facts don’t
matter as long as they fi t the proper
agenda.
Personally I have a lot more faith
in people who are actually treating
and healing people than I do in cor-
porations and people who have an
agenda.
Are they more interested in
pushing a shot or in actually
treating people with the virus?
Follow the money to see who wants
what.
So I ask, is this vaccine even
necessary when we have any
number of eff ective treatments for
the virus?
Mark Barber
La Grande
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